Ayșe Balta’s EXPOSE Voices a New Wave for Migrant Artists
Ayșe Balta’s short film, Expose, reveals the nature of migrant experimentation happening directly on London’s streets.
Filmed in February of 2026, Balta and the crew of 13 to 17 year old migrants were on location in various neighborhoods around London, including Enfield, and partially in the city of York. Not only was this Balta’s directorial debut, but also many of the casts’ first time on a film set. Along with their acting debuts, the character’s experiences were based on stories inspired by their own experiences growing up in the British education system as migrants.
The film premiered in London on the 25th of October, with great success at the Vue Cinema in Wood Green. I was able to attend and feel the energy of the audience. Some of them related to the cast and crew, and many of them attended due to their shared experiences. I also had the opportunity to briefly meet Balta, and we talked briefly on the process of production timeline and the challenges of filming with no funding.
For months, Balta traveled to London once a week from Paris to work on the production of her film. She is both the director and writer of Expose, and her interests in creating this film go beyond the formative acts of creativity. Balta was inspired by opposing the normativity of oppression, humiliation, belittlement, and exploitation many young artists experience on film sets and in the education system. Her mission, even beyond the film, is to pass her knowledge and encouragement to the younger generations, especially the young migrants from Anatolia that starred in this film. From her director’s note, Balta states: “I refuse to accept that cinema should be disconnected from ordinary people and remain exclusively in the hands of big corporations and wealthy investors. I want to make films that tell the truth, give a voice to the people, inspire hope in young people, and shine a light on the issues affecting our communities.”
As well as showcasing the migrants’ stories, the setting of London is the backdrop for these young actors. The film opens with Barıș, our main character, on his bike, looking over the London skyline in a park. The mood is depicted with the outside setting being filmed during the blue hour of the changing sky from day to night.
The 30 minute film explores the daily life of Barıș, whose quiet nature and observation guides the storytelling of the other characters. Barıș, who sells newspapers from his bike before school, is focused and lives simply. “Tiktoker Girls” belittle and bully him, as they pose and make videos for their fans on the social media app. A new clique forms, where three boys threaten to release an embarrassing video of the Tiktoker Girls that was recorded without their consent. Barıș steps in and makes a deal with the three boys to give him the flash drive.
With the actors not having any experience previous to this production, I was quite impressed with how literal and realistic their performances were. Barıș is depicted as the underdog throughout the film, guiding his character’s development through scenes of riding his bike. The camera follows Barıș’ perspective, adding him as a transitioner between scenes, and his bike scenes as montages. Though Barıș’ efforts to change the way peers are behaving between one another is shown, the way his past developed him to be the resilient protagonist is not. It is assumed the bullying affected him enough to want change in his environment.
The Tiktoker Girls, assumed to be the archetypal movie mean girls, actually have a lot of emotional depth. Their insecurities can be seen when their energy shifts, as they are confronted by boys who take power over them when they are threatened. The boys become the new school bullies, and are tough and unbreakable in nature. They are depicted to be intimidating, but their stature breaks them later in the film’s development.
In the last five minutes of the film, Barıș is depicted riding a horse, and is animated through the use of Artificial Intelligence. The folk tale is told through the use of voice-over and AI animation, but the visual execution distracts from an otherwise meaningful story. The act of using AI questions the relevance of providing young migrants the opportunity for pursuing creative projects, and I question whether AI is helping or taking away opportunities for the future of young artists. When does the impact take a toll, and how much creative liberty are artists allowed to express in their artform through the use of AI? The opportunity for young artists to convey their ideas and be in a space of openness is challenging to come by. Many artists, including actors, writers, directors, etc. may feel discouraged when hearing of the enormity that is a film set, let alone one that may give AI the opportunity that another artist could express their creativity in.
Balta and many others’ experiences in the entertainment industry are relatable, questioning why the environment must hold so much tension in its success. In a world where artificial intelligence and big corporations are controlling the use of power, Balta and the cast of young creatives are given the opportunity to shine and thrive in an industry that caters to rejecting these corporate antagonists. So, how do we balance the effects of corporations and the use of AI and with rejecting them, especially in an independent film space?
Balta and the young cast encourage a future of more opportunities for independent and immigrant stories. Perspective Cinema and the Expose team hope to embark on an European tour, with Paris as their next stop on the 16th of November.
Edited by Emily Bunder, London Editor
Comments